THE National Cyber Security Awareness Movement, NASCAM, a not for profit organisation, is organising a workshop for Nigerian journalists to acquaint practitioners with the provisions of the Cybercrime Act 2015, as it relates to media practice, particularly online journalism.

Aaron Ukodie, executive director, NASCAM, while announcing the plan to empower media practitioners with the requisite capacities for maintaining legal decorum online, said that the theme of the workshop is: “The Nigerian Cybercrime Law: What Journalists Need to Know”. During the workshop media practitioners will be educated and engaged on the rudiments of the cyber law.

Ukodie said, “this workshop has become necessary following the fact that numerous media practitioners are not aware of the provisions of the law, regarding their practice such that many have recently fallen foul of the law.

Going by the tracked trends, public officers, including the president, vice president, governors, legislators (State and National Assembly members), judges and lawyers, corporate brands, CEOs and senior officials of organisations and religious leaders lack knowledge on the cybercrimes Act 2015, especially in this era of citizen journalism.

He said that the damage to brands and individuals could have multifarious implications if ‘citizen journalists’ are not immediately made aware of on the dangers inherent in unbridled dissemination of false information online.

The workshop which will take place 9.am on Friday, June 23, at the Sheraton Hotels Ikeja, Lagos is hosted in collaborations with the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Association of Online Journalists, the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association, NITRA, media and public relations officers in the private and public sector, lawyers and members of the National Assembly. Other participants are from key institutions including the judiciary, parliament, academia, media, public and private service institutions.

“It is also imperative that within the constantly evolving cyber landscape, knowledgeable and responsible public information are needed more than ever to frame ethical debates around new digital trends and complex security issues,” he said adding that, the workshop will deepen the understanding of these challenges and also increase knowledge, accuracy and accountability with regards to reporting on cyber threats. it will also provide the opportunity for participants to share their experiences on the issue that will be discussed at the workshop.

The workshop will also raise awareness among the journalists and media officers in the public and private institutions about their vulnerabilities while working online or using digital devices; and provide them with resources to plan their own security protocols for dealing with complex threats.

—  Jun 2, 2017 @ 14:30 GMT